


The First Day of November

by FlintMcC



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28102293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlintMcC/pseuds/FlintMcC
Summary: A very short follow-up to “Monsters.” Buck and Christopher see each other for the first time since the end of the lawsuit and Eddie and Buck’s reconciliation. Eddie and Buck look at each other a lot.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	The First Day of November

On the first day of November, Buck walked into Station 118 feeling like he was walking on air. Halloween was over, so no more standing behind a table and getting bullied by children. And Eddie forgave him. He understood now what an asshole he’d been with the lawsuit, but Eddie forgave him. He had his best friend back.

When Buck walked into the locker room, Eddie was changing for the shift. He looked up from buttoning his shirt. “Hey, Buck,” he said, turning that blinding Diaz smile on his best friend, the smile that for some reason always made Buck feel a bit of a flutter in his stomach.

“Hey, Eddie,” Buck replied, flashing his own smile in return. He extended an arm, forearm up, palm forward. Eddie grabbed it with his own hand and paused as he headed for the door. For a long moment they stood clasping hands, looking into each other’s eyes, until Buck, blushing, cleared his throat and somewhat shyly said, “The team’s back together?”

“The team’s back together,” Eddie responded, smiling again. He dropped Buck’s hand. “You get changed, I’ll get the coffee.”

“Sounds great, man” Buck answered, smiling again.

Bobby still didn’t want to push Buck too hard on his first week back. He had given Eddie a long look, and then he assigned him to the same shift as Buck. Fortunately the shift turned out to be basically quiet. The calls were fairly routine, no major fires, only two small ones, and no major traffic accidents. Back in the locker room at the end of the day, Buck found himself staring as Eddie pulled his tee shirt down over his pecs and abs. Suddenly he remembered Chimney teasing him on Eddie’s first day at the 118: “He likes to be called Eight-pack.”

Eddie turned to him, eyebrows raised, questioning. “Yeah, Buck?”

“Oh! Uh. …” Buck stumbled for a reply. Fortunately it took him only a moment to find his voice. He looked at the floor, then at Eddie. “I, uh, I was wondering, when can I see Chris?”

Eddie shrugged. “How about tonight? You doing anything?”

“Uh, no!” Buck was surprised.

Eddie backed toward the door, continuing to face Buck. He said, “Okay, then, we’ll see you about five-thirty.”

“Five-thirty it is!”

Eddie cocked a finger at him. “He’s been complaining he hasn’t had pizza in two weeks. Bring pizza.”

Buck smiled and laughed. “You got it, man!”

*-*-*

Eddie picked Christopher up from school. To kill some time, he invented a need to pick up a few things from the grocery store. Then he stopped for gas for his truck, even though the tank was more than half full. When they finally got home, they settled down to work together on Christopher’s homework. Eddie kept a surreptitious eye on his watch. Finally, at about five-fifteen, he said to Christopher, “You getting hungry, pal?”

“Yeah!” Christopher nodded.

“Okay. I’ll go fix us something for dinner. You finish your homework.”

“Okay, Dad.”

Eddie ruffled his son’s hair, then headed to the kitchen.

He was rattling a few saucepans to make it sound like he was making dinner and huffed out a sigh of relief when he heard the doorbell ring. “Chris,” he called, “can you answer the door?”

“Sure, Dad,” Christopher answered.

Eddie heard his son stand up and take his crutches. He started to count down. “Five … four” … he heard Christopher approaching the door, … “three” … one crutch was leaned against the wall so Chris could open the door … “two” … he heard the door start to open … “one.”

“B-u-u-c-k!”

“Hey, buddy!” Eddie heard Buck’s reply. He smiled. He could imagine the look on his son’s face at seeing Buck again after, like, forever. Arms crossed, he turned and leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching. Buck was down on one knee, his arms around Christopher. The little boy had his arms around Buck’s neck. Eddie could see tears rolling down his son’s cheeks. He thought he noticed one roll down Buck’s cheek as well.

Christopher’s voice was muffled against Buck’s neck, but Eddie could hear him practically sobbing, “Why did you go away?”

He could hear Buck’s answer, too, as he rocked the little boy back and forth. He was clearly choked up. “I had some grown-up stuff to do, but I’m back now.”

“You won’t go away again, will you?”

Buck held his little buddy tighter. “Nope,” he said, “Not a chance. Never, ever again.”

His boys, Eddie thought to himself, smiling at the sight of the two of them. His Christopher, his Buck. He frowned, brow furrowed, at his own thoughts. “His Buck?” he said to himself. “Where did that come from?” He strolled into the living room. He ruffled Christopher’s hair and gave Buck a hand to pull him up.

“Okay, guys,” Eddie said. “Buck, that pizza’s getting cold. You go get the pizza. Christopher and I’ll set the table.”

“Pizza?” Christopher asked.

“Yeah, buddy. I brought pizza,” Buck said, smiling.

Yay!” Christopher exclaimed. What could be better than pizza with Buck?

Buck winked at Christopher and hurried out to his Jeep to bring in the pizzas.

At dinner, Eddie could barely get a word in the conversation as Buck and Christopher chattered about everything, school, sports, cartoons, Disney films, X-men movies. Mostly he just ate his pizza and smiled at the two of them. They had really missed each other, he thought. He had really missed Buck, too, he realized, missed him a lot, in fact. Maybe that was really why he had nearly decked him in that supermarket?

After dinner they sat together on the sofa playing video games until Christopher started yawning. Eddie looked at his watch. He put his arm around Christopher’s shoulder. “Hey, pal,” he said. “Time for bed. School tomorrow.”

“Aww, Dad,” Christopher pouted. “Can’t I stay up just a little bit longer?” He yawned again.

“Bed.”

“Okay,” Christopher replied, still pouting. Then he had another thought. His face brightened. “Can Buck put me to bed?”

Eyebrows raised, Eddie looked at Buck.

Buck smiled and nodded. He got up off the sofa and picked up Christopher, holding the little boy in one arm. “Okay, buddy.” He said. “Let’s go!”

*-*-*

Eddie leaned back on the sofa with his arms behind his head until he heard Christopher’s bedroom door close softly. He stood up as Buck came out of the hallway. “He asleep?” Eddie asked.

“Out like a light,” Buck laughed a little, softly.

For a long moment they stood looking at each other. Finally, a bit awkwardly, Buck jerked a thumb toward the door. “I, uh, I guess I better go.”

Eddie nodded. “Shift tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Shift tomorrow.” Slowly Buck made his way to the door with Eddie following. He reached for the doorknob but then abruptly turned. “Game night at my place next week?”

“Game night at your place,” Eddie repeated, smiling a little, nodding.

Once again, for a long moment they stood looking at each other. Then Buck gestured toward the closed door and said, “I, uh, I, uh, better go.”

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded.

Buck had his hand on the doorknob when Eddie suddenly said, “Buck?”

“Yeah?” Buck turned.

“I really missed you,” Eddie said quietly.

Buck let go of the doorknob and turned to face his best friend. He looked at the floor, then he looked at Eddie, and then he said, also quietly, “I missed you, too.”

Again they stood looking into each other’s eyes while Buck leaned against the door. Then, slowly, Eddie leaned forward toward him, hands on the door, one on either side of Buck’s head. Just as slowly, he brought his lips to Buck’s lips. The kiss was slow and gentle.

Buck did not move, nor did he resist the kiss. When Eddie pulled back, Buck leaned forward, following him, putting one arm around Eddie’s neck, pulling them together until their lips met again. When they finally separated, they looked at each other, a bit wide-eyed, both a bit shocked over what had just happened, and definitely abashed.

Buck lowered his eyes. “I, uh, I gotta go.”

Eddie nodded, his lips pressed together. Buck turned, opened the door, and quietly left.

When he was gone, Eddie turned and slumped against the door. He ran a hand over his face. “My God,” he said to himself. “What just happened here?” He had kissed his best friend, and his best friend had kissed him back, and he had loved it. And he wanted to do it again. He felt himself flush. What was going on?

Out in Eddie’s driveway, Buck slowly got into his Jeep and put the key into the ignition. Then he slumped over the steering wheel, still dazed by what had just happened. His best friend had kissed him, and he had kissed him back, and he had loved it. And he wanted to do it again. He felt a fluttering in his stomach and another feeling a little farther down. What was going on?

Game night was at his place next week.


End file.
